Archive · 14 Nov 2025
Supreme Court Bans Mining Within 1 Km of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries
The highest court in India has made a new rule: no more digging for minerals or rocks near national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
This rule applies everywhere in the country.
The judges decided this because digging too close to these protected areas can be very harmful to the animals.
They were thinking about some special forest areas in a place called Jharkhand when they made this big decision for all of India.
This helps keep the animals and their homes safe.
The Supreme Court has banned mining within a one-kilometer radius of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries nationwide.
The court deemed mining activities within this zone as hazardous to wildlife.
This directive was issued during the consideration of pleas related to Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary and Sasangdaburu Conservation Reserve in Jharkhand.
The ruling emphasizes a pan-India application of this mining ban near protected areas.
The consistent view of the court has been that mining near these sanctuaries poses a significant risk to wildlife.
- Who
- The Supreme Court of India
- What
- Banned mining activities within a one-kilometer radius of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across India.
- When
- Thursday
- Where
- National parks and wildlife sanctuaries in India
- Why
- To protect wildlife from hazardous mining activities.
Environmental Protection
Resource Extraction
Mining Proximity to Protected Areas
Environmental Protection
The Supreme Court has banned all mining activities within one kilometer of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, deeming them hazardous to wildlife.
Resource Extraction
While the ban is implemented nationwide, six specific compartments within Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary were excluded from a similar one-kilometer mining prohibition in a related case, suggesting a need to balance conservation with designated mining operations.
Scope of the Ban
Environmental Protection
The ban on mining within a one-kilometer radius of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries is now a pan-India directive from the Supreme Court.
Resource Extraction
Previously, similar directives were issued with respect to specific states like Goa, indicating a phased or regional approach to environmental regulations before the nationwide implementation.
- Court
- Supreme Court of India
- Ruling Date
- Thursday (specific date not mentioned)
- Banned Activity
- Mining
- Prohibited Zone
- Within one kilometer of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries
- Reason for Ban
- Hazardous to wildlife
- Scope of Order
- Pan-India basis
- Related Case
- Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary and Sasangdaburu Conservation Reserve notification in Jharkhand
Sources
No mining within 1 km of protected areas, rules Supreme Court
Supreme Court bans mining activities within one km radius of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries
Supreme Court bans mining within 1-km radius of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries
SC directs Jharkhand to declare Saranda forests as wildlife sanctuary
Court Asks Jharkhand To Notify Parts Of Saranda Forest As Wildlife Sanctuary
